Short Interest in Barings Bdc, Inc. (NYSE:BBDC) Rises By 29.3%

Barings Bdc, Inc. (NYSE:BBDC) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,397,966 shares, a growth of 29.3% from the February 12th total of 1,080,960 shares. Currently, 1.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,020,828 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,020,828 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 1.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Barings Bdc Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of Barings Bdc stock traded down $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $8.09. The stock had a trading volume of 734,806 shares, compared to its average volume of 952,431. Barings Bdc has a 1 year low of $7.66 and a 1 year high of $9.92. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $8.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 0.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market capitalization of $846.79 million, a PE ratio of 7.22 and a beta of 0.60.

Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.01. Barings Bdc had a net margin of 36.50% and a return on equity of 10.05%. The business had revenue of $65.28 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.66 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Barings Bdc will post 1.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Barings Bdc Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th were issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.9%. Barings Bdc’s dividend payout ratio is presently 107.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BBDC. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in Barings Bdc by 66.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 486,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,258,000 after acquiring an additional 194,725 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Barings Bdc by 36.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 2,141,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,764,000 after purchasing an additional 570,637 shares during the period. Ares Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Barings Bdc by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ares Management LLC now owns 3,797,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,706,000 after purchasing an additional 190,016 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Barings Bdc by 18.1% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 826,659 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,556,000 after purchasing an additional 126,688 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Muzinich & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Barings Bdc by 66.8% in the third quarter. Muzinich & Co. Inc. now owns 486,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,258,000 after purchasing an additional 194,725 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered Barings Bdc from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Barings Bdc presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $9.67.

About Barings Bdc

Barings BDC Inc (NYSE: BBDC) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company that provides flexible financing solutions to middle-market companies. As an investment vehicle organized under the Investment Company Act of 1940, BBDC seeks to generate both current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in senior secured loans, second lien loans, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. The company targets established businesses across a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, industrials, consumer products and business services.

The company is sponsored and managed by Barings LLC, a global investment manager and subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).